Percolation segregation of binary mixtures under periodic movement

Three strain rates of 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25 Hz were selected for studying percolation segregation in binary mixtures of urea (spherical) and potash (angular). Mixed binary samples prepared from three mean coarse sizes with their corresponding three and two fines sizes for potash and urea, respectively. Herein, three coarse mean sizes 3675, 3075, and 2580 µm and three mean fine sizes 2180, 1850, and 1550 µm were selected for tests. Percolation segregation in mixed binary sample was quantified using the primary segregation shear cell (PSSC-II). Based on experimental results, the segregated fines mass, normalized segregation rate (NSR) and segregation rate of fines for binary mixtures increased with increasing strain rate from 0.25 Hz to 1.0 Hz. The NSR decreased with decreasing strain rate from 1.0 Hz > 0.5 Hz > 0.25 Hz for size ratios 1.7, 2.0, and 2.4 (p < 0.05). At these three strain rates, for size ratio 2.0, the NSR of coarse size 3675 µm with fines size 1850 µm was smaller than the NSR of coarse size 3075 µm with fine size 1550 µm in the binary mixtures (p < 0.05). At three strain rates of 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25 Hz, the NSR for potash was higher (53%, 56%, and 46%) than the NSR for urea for the same size ratio (p < 0.05).

Graphical abstractComparison of NSR between potash (angular) and urea (spherical) for size ratio 2.0 when coarse size was 3675 µm at strain rates (a) 1.0 Hz, (b) 0.5 Hz, and (c) 0.25 Hz, with ± SD as error bars.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide